Eastern Province Secretariat 44 building compliance certificates for a number of towers, banks, and educational, healthcare, and commercial buildings in Dhahran.

The Secretariat explained that the building compliance certificate aims to ensure that owners of commercial buildings commit to keeping their buildings free of visual distortions in order to provide a healthy and sustainable urban environment and enhance the city’s urban landscape to improve quality of life.

Building Compliance Certification Procedures Guide

The Procedures Guide Building Compliance Certification a number of violations, most notably: failure to install a side ramp or side access pathway for people with disabilities in accordance with the Universal Access Standards for Facilities, as well as the presence of separate air conditioning units or exposed electrical, plumbing, or mechanical extensions on the building’s facade facing the commercial street; the covering of balconies without obtaining the necessary permits; the presence of unsightly barriers (Shinko) on the parapet or roof, as well as the presence of old or dilapidated advertising posters, unauthorized graffiti, or satellite dishes on the balconies facing the street.

The Secretariat noted that it has launched an awareness campaign over the past few months regarding the need to address visual distortions and has urged commercial building owners to obtain a certificate of compliance, calling on the owners of the targeted commercial buildings to promptly take the initiative to address all elements of visual distortion in their buildings in accordance with the Building Compliance Certificate Procedures Manual.